Closure for bottles



April 23, 1940. c. c. KANcER '2,198,117

CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES Filed April 8, 1938 Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES rarest ortica CLOSURE FUR'BOTTLES Carroll C. Kancer, Norwood, Mass.

Application April 8, 1938, Serial No. 200,857

f 2 Claims.

My invention relates to 'closuresor bottles and like containers and it has for its object to improve the construction of the same.

At the present vtime it is common practice to apply a cap or sleeve of thin sheet material to the upper end of the neck of a 'liquor bottle as a sanitary measure and so as to provide a seal which mustbe cut, torn or otherwise mutilated in order to permit removal of the cork or screw-cap of the bottle when it is desired to have access to the contents of the latter. My invention provides simple, elicient and inexpensive means associated with said sealing cap or sleeve which can be quickly and conveniently operated to tear, 'cut or rip the same circumambently adjacent to the cork or screw-cap so as to ireethe latter for removal.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of the upper 20 end of a liquor bottle 'provided with a closure constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the upper end portion of the bottle illustrated in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view illustrating an alternative construction.

Figure 4 illustrates another alternative construction.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing the bottle B is provided with a closure member consisting of a cork stopper Ill provided with a head or flange II by means of which it is manipulated. Enclosing the delivery end of the neck oi the bottle and the stopper I-II is a cap sheath I2 of 5 thin sheet material such as lead foil or viscose sheet material and upon the exterior of this cap I2 is applied the usual revenue stamp I3, the middle portion of said stamp being adhesively attached to the top of cap I2 and the opposite end .m portions extending downwardly from the top of the cap at opposite sides of the latter and adhesively applied thereto as usual.

Heretofore, when opening a bottle of liquor provided with a cap I2 and stamp I3 it has been if customary to press a knife blade into the joint between the chime of the bottle neck and flange II and cut the cap and stamp by moving the knife blade around the bottle, but in many cases when a knife blade is not available or for other Si reasons it is necessary to do so the cap I 2 is torn or broken to free the stopper IiI--II with the result that the revenue stamp was mutilated or displaced. This was objectionable for the reason that in barrooms and other places serving 55 liquor it is required by law that enough of the stampremain attached to the bottle and cork to disclose the serial number of the stamp or other particular details thereof.

In accordance with my invention I yemploy a` strand or filament I4 and in making up the pack- "5 age one end of this strand or filament is placed within the neck of the bottle after which the stopper I is driven into the neck of the latter. The strand or lament III is then wound around the neck of the bottle withinthe joint between l0 the chime of the latter and the flange II as shown in Figure 2 to the extent of one convolution and then the louter end portion of vsaid strand or filament is passed through an aperture or hole I5 formed through thejskirt of the seal- T5 ing cap I2 before or as the latter is applied 'to the bottle.

When it is desired to open the bottle the end of the strand or filament III which is upon the outside of the sealing cap is grasped and swung around the bottle in a right-hand directionand as will be clear the sealing cap I2 is ripped or cut smoothly and evenly circumambiently opposite the joint between flange I I and the chime of the bottle. 'I'he cork is then free to be removed. 25

In Figure 3 I have shown the strand or lilament I4 associated with a viscose sealing sleeve I6 and in this case the sleeve is applied to the neck of the bottle and to the stopper after securing the inner end of the strand or filament within the neck of the bottle by means of the stopper and winding the strand or filament around the neck of the bottle to the extent of one convolution, the outer end of said strand or lament being carried upwardly so that when the sleeve I6 is applied and shrinks' into place on the bottle the outer end portion of the strand or filament is accessible for operation.- In opening this bottle the outer end of the strand or lament is first drawn downwardly to rip the upper portion of the sleeve longitudinally down as far as the joint between thel stopper ange II and the chime of the bottle and then said outer end is swung around the neck of the bottle to rip or cut the sleeve as in the case with the sealing cap I2.

In Figure 4 of the drawing the closure for the bottle is a sheet metal screw-cap I'I whose top is lined interiorly with a washer I8 of paper or the like, as usual. It is customary to secure the screw-cap I'I in position upon the neck of the 50 bottle by means of a viscose sleeve I6 that is shrunk in position upon the exteriors of said screw-cap and neck. In producing my new closure with this type of bottle one end of the strand or filament Ill is inserted within the neck of the bottle before applying cap I I and sleeve I6 and then the cap I1 is screwed firmly into place on the neck of the bottle and after winding the strand or lament around the neck of the bottle to the extent of one convolution the sealing sleeve I6 is applied and shrunk into position upon the outside of the neck and cap as shown while the outer end portion of the strand or lament is maintained in an upwardly extended position. In opening the bottle thus constructed the outer end portion of the strand or lament is grasped and by rst pulling downwardly thereon the sleeve I6 is ripped longitudinally downwardly as far as the bottom edge of cap I'I and then sai-d outer end is swung around the bottle to rip or cut the sleeve I6 circularly or circumambiently throughout its circuit. The screw-cap stopper I'I is then free to be removed.

The ripping strands or filaments I4 may each consist of a length of line Wire, cord or the like.

It is a feature of the constructions herein illustrated that the inner end portion of the rip ping strand or filament is anchored to the bottle by being clamped between the closure member and the neck of the bottle, said closure member being a cork plug in Figs. l and 3 and a screwcap in Fig. 4; that the intermediate portion of said strand or filament surrounds the neck of the bottle or the stopper to the extent of at least one convolution or thereabouts immediately adjacent to the sealing sheath, and that the outer end portion of said strand or lament is accessibly disposed outside of said sealing sheath.

In making up bottled liquor for retail package goods stores the revenue stamp is applied to the outside of the sanitary sheaths I2 and I6 as shown in the drawing, but in making up the goods for the bar trade the revenue stamp is applied to the bottle before application of the sheaths I2 and I6. However, it will be understood that in both cases the convolution of the strand or lament I4 which surrounds the bottle is preferably disposed beneath the stamp so that the latter, as well as the sheath, is severed when the strand or filament I4 is unwound to open the bottle, the middle portion of the stamp remaining attached in its entirety to the stopper and the opposite end portions remaining attached in their entirety to the neck of the bottle.

What I claim is:

1. In a closure of the character described, the combination with the bottle neck, a stopper therefor and a sea-ling sheath surrounding said stopper and neck, of a sheath-ripping strand or filament having its inner end immovably clamped to the inside of said bottle neck by said stopper and having an outer end portion accessibly disposed upon the outside of said sheath, the interme-diate portion of said strand or filament being formed into a convolution surrounding said stopper and disposed within said sheath so that when said outer end portion is manually swung around the axis of said neck in a direction to unwind said convolution the sheath is ripped circumambiently.

2. In a closure of the character described, the combination with the bottle neck, a closure mem ber therefor and a sealing sheath surrounding said member and neck, of a sheath-ripping strand or lament having an inner end portion clamped to said bottle neck by said member and an outer end portion accessibly disposed upon the outside of said sheath, the intermediate portion of said strand or lament being formed into a convolution extending around the interior of said sheath so as to rip said sheath circumambiently when said outer end portion is forcibly pulled in a direction to unwind said convolution.

CARROLL C. KANCER. 

